America

Submitted by Alex Thomas via Intellihub.com,

With a stroke of the pen President Obama has unilaterally declared vast swaths of land in Utah and Nevada as two new national monuments, thus putting them under control of the federal government.

Startlingly, the area in Nevada includes the site of the infamous Bundy Ranch standoff as well as land very close to the Bundy Ranch itself. With this move Obama has possibly triggered another armed standoff while also heading off any moves set to be made by incoming president Donald Trump.

One can almost sense that unforeseen events could bring chaos to America, warns SHTFPlan.com's Mac Slavo...

Debts and economic catastrophes could play out, terrorism could strike, wars could spark to life, disaster may hit, and much more. While many have been optimistic about the promises of a new president, and a brighter spot for the free market, global affairs are complicated, and often bite from both ends. With Trump, no one really knows what to expect, and regardless, one man cannot steer all world events in his direction.

Authored by Paul Craig Roberts,

The English language Russian news agency, Sputnik, reports that former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is advising US president-elect Donald Trump how to “bring the United States and Russia closer together to offset China’s military buildup.” 

If we take this report at face value, it tells us that Kissinger, an old cold warrior, is working to use Trump’s commitment to better relations with Russia in order to separate Russia from its strategic alliance with China.

Submitted by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog,

Celebrity chef and host of CNN’s Parts Unknown Anthony Bourdain is no fan of Trump, and he made as much clear in today's interview with Reason. When asked what concerns him about Trump, he responded: "what I am not concerned about with Trump? Wherever one lives in the world right now I wouldn't feel too comfortable about the rise of authoritarianism. I think it's a global trend, and one that should be of concern to everyone."